Roar with Harmless at The Echoplex

The two solo acts are known as Harmless, and Roar played a sold-out show at the Echoplex. With Harmless opening and Roar being the main act, the night was ensured to be a blast and filled with great music.

Nacho Cano of Harmless

Photo by Atikis Curiel

Harmless is fronted by Nacho Cano and is most well-known for the track "Swing Lynn," as it exploded on multiple social media platforms during the pandemic days of 2020-2021. But besides that track, Harmless has a vast catalog of other terrific songs such as "U Up?", "Mrs. Moody," "Pier Café," and one of his most recent ones and one that I think is one of his greatest ones thus far "It's only you." The music is a mix of various genres, with some songs reminiscent of soft or yacht rock. And some songs have qualities of lo-fi, chill-wave, Hispanic, and a couple more.

Owen Evans of Roar. Photo by Atikis Curiel

Owen Evans is the frontman for Roar. His most well-known track is "I Can't Handle Change," but like Nacho, he has a vast catalog of great music, some going back as early as 2010. Some of these tracks include "Copperfield," "Christmas Kids," and "Poor Grammar," just to name a few. The genre is a mixture of rock at times and majority indie-pop.

 Upon my arrival at the venue, there was a sizable line, and as the minutes passed, it kept getting longer and longer. The line disappeared when the doors opened, and we entered the venue. The lights were dim, it was rather cold, and the music playing was an interesting choice and not one that I would have expected them to play as we all waited for the show to begin. They played oldies with songs from legends such as Breton Wood, Patti Drew, The Penguins, and much more. It was a nice change of music choice, a different genre, but great exposure to great music. While scoping the venue out, I noticed the frontman of Harmless Nacho walking around. Immediately, my first reaction was to approach and ask for a picture, and he agreed without hesitation. It was a pleasant interaction, and he said that tonight's show would be great, and he was right.

Nacho Cano of Harmles. Photo by Atikis Curiel

As soon as it turned 8, the music playing from the speakers ceased. The lights focused on the stage, and Nacho reached the mic in the middle, picked up the guitar, and started playing the first song, "Pier Café." At the same time, his supporting members made their way to their respective instruments. After the song's end, he immediately went into the next, and through his set, he played new songs such as "Rosie" and "As I Lay Chillin." There was a point in their set where he was tuning his guitar while also making some banter with the crowd, and one of the other concertgoers kept yelling out, "Play fucking Free bird!" It was hilarious when the drummer interjected and said, "That song is like fifty fucking years old, haven't you heard enough?" The band and its members' interaction with the audience was fluid and comical. At one point in the set, while tuning their instruments and making banter, the drummer, who had a soundboard and was playing snippets of various meme sounds such as “BUSSSSS!” (iykyk); the crowd and band laughed, and the show went on. During the performance of “U UP?,” Nacho would go up to those closest to him recording and sing to them, and for some, he would take their phone and sing to it. One notable interaction was when a concertgoer bought a Nintendo DS, and Nacho took a selfie with him and the crowd.

Nacho taking a selfie with a Nintendo DS.

Near the end of the set, Harmless played their song "It's Only You." A song dedicated to Nacho's wife and one I have previously said is excellent. "Swing Lynn" was the last song, and the crowd went wild. When the song ended, the drummer threw his sticks into the crowd. The band said their 'thank yous,' and now Roar was next.

Only about five minutes later, Roar came on stage. Owen, the frontman, greeted the crowd and started playing the first song, "Copperfield." And after that song was done, he went into one of his most well-known songs, "Christmas Kids," which, funnily enough, is about Phil Spector and his wife, Ronnie. The crowd was singing every lyric, jumping around, recording, all having the time of their lives. During the middle of the show, one concertgoer may have been too much into the show and passed out from what seemed to be exhaustion. The show immediately stopped, the proper precautions were taken, and the person was right afterward. When Owen went back on stage, he told the crowd that the concertgoer was conscious and functioning. Owen applauded the two concertgoers who caught his attention to let staff know that the man had passed out, and the show continued.

Evans and his drummer Jef Wright

Photo by Atikis Curiel

Another interaction Owen had was after every two or three songs, and he stopped to ask the crowd for various verbs, adjectives, and nouns. Before the last two songs, Owen had created an amalgamation of words to a story that made no sense. I cannot remember what it was, but it was bizarre and hilarious. As the end of the show neared. Roar played their song "I Can't Handle Change." It's a short but great song that hits close to the heart for most, with very few lyrics, counting out the reported lines, and yet there is such a deep allure to it. Their last song, "Flightless Bird," has a similar charm.

A reoccurring emotion(s) that most people, including myself, feel when listening to the songs is nostalgia. We all have varied meanings, but we can all agree that when listening to songs from Roar and some songs, but not all from Harmless, we feel that nostalgic depression. That is why songs like "I Can't Handle Change," Flightless Bird," and "Swing Lynn" appeal to so many. They remind us of a simpler time or describe what we feel now. Maybe some of us can't handle change, and perhaps some experience anxiety so bad that our bodies shake. Whatever the reason it draws you to the songs, it is comforting that these musicians know what we feel. We may not be able to handle the change of getting older, the many obstacles we go through in life, or various other things, but at least we can find comfort in the music given to us by Roar and Harmless so that we may endure a bit longer.

The band finishing their set with the song “Flightless Bird”

Track Recommendations

Harmless:

Como Somos, Painfully Obvious, Mrs. Moody, Linda, and Notice Me.

Roar:

Demon Ghost Cave, The Vulture and the Void, Flightless Bird, The Comfort of a Laugh Track, and Heart for Brains.

Overall rating of the show: 9.8